Back Yourself. Be Dillusional
- Mr Smyth
- May 16
- 3 min read
A lot of top performers believe they can achieve things long before there is any proof.
From the outside, this sometimes looks delusional.
And honestly? Sometimes it is.
But there’s a difference between:
useless delusion
and
worthwhile delusion.
Believing you can jump over a house probably isn’t useful.
But believing you can go from:
a Grade 1 to a Grade 5
or a Grade 5 to a Grade 9
even when nobody around you expects it…
That kind of belief can completely change your life.
Top performers often have a strong belief in themselves before the results appear.
People sometimes call it:
arrogant
unrealistic
overconfident
Maybe.
But top performers understand something important:
If your own brain does not back you, why would you expect the world to?
Main Problems
1. Most people build goals around what feels realistic right now
A lot of students decide their future using:
current grades
current confidence
current ability
But your current situation is not your final situation.
Top performers think beyond where they currently are.
2. “Realistic thinking” often creates smaller effort
When goals feel too safe, people usually:
work less intensely
practise less
and push themselves less
Small thinking often creates small action.
3. Most people never ask:
“What if?”A lot of students never allow themselves to imagine:
bigger outcomes
massive improvement
or becoming exceptional
They shut the idea down before they even explore it.
Top performers are willing to ask:
“Why not me?”
Action 1: Look At Proof From Your Own Life
Think about something you’re now good at or enjoy doing.
Maybe:
gaming
football
drawing
guitar
coding
sport
Now think back to the very first time you tried it.
Did you already have the skill?
No.
At one point, the current version of you would have felt impossible.
So what changed?
You practised. You repeated. You improved. You stayed with it.
That version of you was built.
Not born.
Action 2: Imagine What “World Class” Would Look Like
Pick something you enjoy doing.
Now imagine becoming genuinely exceptional at it.
Not average. Not decent. Exceptional.
What would that person do differently?
Be specific:
How often would they practise?
How would they think?
What habits would they build?
What distractions would they avoid?
Big improvement starts with allowing yourself to imagine bigger possibilities.
Action 3: Find One Area That Would Change Your Life If You Improved It
Think about one thing in your life that, if you became exceptional at it, would massively improve your future.
Maybe:
Maths
confidence
discipline
communication
fitness
revision
Now imagine the version of yourself that becomes genuinely great at that thing.
How would your life change? How would school feel? How would your future change?
Now ask:
“What would that version of me start doing today?”
Action 4: Speak To Yourself Like Someone Worth Backing
A lot of students destroy their confidence with their own self-talk.
They constantly repeat:
“I’m terrible at this”
“I’ll never do well”
“I’m just not smart enough”
Eventually, the brain starts believing it.
Top performers talk to themselves differently.
Not because they have proof yet.
But because they understand:
your brain performs better when it believes improvement is possible.
Back yourself.
Even before the evidence fully arrives.
Because sometimes belief is what creates the effort needed to build the result 😊
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